Thursday, 13 December 2007

The War of the Elements [Part 1]

Silence in the Chamber of Council. Everyone that was present were conversing in whispers, meditating as they awaited the arrival of their lord, Eadric, who was now late for the urgent meeting he had called. The lord of the Serapheth, the Enlightened, was rarely late for such meetings; indeed, he could always be found in his chamber, willing to advice those in need of it. If Eadric was late, the Serapheth knew things weren't going well below.

The Serapheth consisted of many different people, or more accurately, creatures. There were the Avians, humans with the wings of an angel, who patroled the skies; the Siricis who lived underwater, yet could also breath above land; the Therians, who could change into different animals according to their own clans; and the Familiars, beings who serve as guides for the living. These four clans were known universally as the Colony.

Besides the four species above, members of the Serapheth also include the Elementals: the Firestarters, who controled fire; the Earthgivers, who controled plants and the land; Waterstriders, who could manipulate water; and the Windwalkers, who controled air. Other than the clans listed above, there were also the mages, reverend elders of the court, who knew magic and were highly educated in it.

All of a sudden, all conversation ceased to an abrupt halt as their leader, Eadric, neared the platform where he stood. 'Friends, Serapheth,' he announced, hands resting on the podium in front of him. 'I apologize for being late, but I have grave news.' The tension was thick in the air. Eadric continued. 'The Darkwielders are assembling.' Concerned murmuring filled the Chamber. The Darkwielders, assembling? This was unheard of. War is soon.

The Darkwielders were once members of the Colony and the Elementals themselves; however, surrendering to the dark side transformed them. Rogue Avians, now Spectrals, were now flying with the wings of a bat; instead of the beautiful people they once were as Siricians, they were ugly, with fins like a shark and sharp teeth. They called themselves the Nymphos, inhabiting the deepest darkest depths of the ocean. Therians were now Feral, growing claws sharper than knives, killing a man with only one bite. The Familiars were now dumb beasts, reduced to mere housepets.

As for the former Elementals, they did not lose their powers, but with each passing winter, they change, transforming into huge dragons and mighty beasts, serving the dark side, under the command of the dark lord, who was called Gothric of the Goths.

Eadric silenced the crowd with a hand. 'My friends, we know not of their numbers; yet we must be prepared for all. We must assemble an army immediately before the Darkwielders attack.'

At this, Kincaid, leader of the Avians, stood up, his wings unfolding, reflecting the light. 'My people will fight till the last warrior.' He held up his fist accompanied by loud cheerings from his kind. 'We will not surrender to Gothric!'

'I agree as well, cousin,' Aoife of the Siricis stood, flipping her long dark blue hair. Her voice sounded watery, as though she was underwater. 'We will scout the seas, with troops at the ready to fight the Nymphos. Even though our allegiance to the Serapheth is strong, the Siricis are a peace-loving kind, so forgive us if we only manage to delay them.' Her head was bowed.

'Nay, kind sister,' Lionello spoke up. The lord of the Therians, his alter ego was a large lion, filled with command. 'The Therians will help, we will sent the great cats and birds of prey to guard the stronghold, and our swiftest horses will bear man in war. That I can guarentee.'

At this, the Familiar leader stood, her cloak swishing in the breeze. 'I will send my kin to each and every household, they will guide the family in these times of darkness.'

Eadric nodded. 'Thank you for your help, Rumina. Colony. I'm sure the Elementals are in as well?' The Elementals nodded. 'You have our help, Eadric.'

'Good,' Eadric said. 'Prepare your people for the war that is oncoming. Make sure that the strongholds are strong. Train your warriors. Meanwhile, the mages and I will create a force field around the lands. We can delay the Darkwielders.'

'Do as you must,' everyone said in unison, their right hand placed on their heart as a sign of acknowledgement.

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Meanwhile, Gothric of the Goths looked into his scrying pool, where he'd just witnessed the happenings of the Serapheth. He grinned evilly. 'Do as you must,' he repeated. 'Do as you must, indeed.' He gave a soft chuckle, which grew into a maniacal laugh by the minute. 'We'll see how this fares, Eadric!'